KOTA KINABALU,16 May 2023 - Continuing its efforts to promote Malaysia as a top tourism destination, Tourism Malaysia is organising a familiarisation trip and hosting Indian golfers to Sabah to showcase the region as an exciting new golf destination. The trip follows a successful meeting between golf operators and the Honourable Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia at the South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2023 in India last February.

The program brought together three (3) golf media and two (2) travel agents from India to connect with industry players in Sabah and explore potential collaborations to promote Sabah's diversified tourism products. The group visited elite golf clubs, including Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club, Dalit Bay & Country Club, and Nexus Golf Karambunai.

This familiarisation trip aims to attract Indian golfers and create demand for Sabah, Malaysia. There are currently 159 flights per week from India to Kuala Lumpur via Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air (formerly known as Malindo Air), AirAsia, and IndiGo, as well as 171 direct flights weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

Malaysia is an attractive destination for golf enthusiasts looking for a high-quality international tournament experience during the Indian off-season between August to October. India already sees an increasing number of golf tournaments, leading to greater demand for golf clubs from professionals and amateurs.

"We are thrilled to showcase Sabah's beautiful golf courses and attractions as a significant step in positioning Sabah as a premier golf destination for Indian travellers. Through collaborations with industry players and enhanced connectivity, we are confident that Sabah will captivate Indian golfers and contribute to Malaysia's tourism growth," said Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd. Ghapar, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia.

Tourism Malaysia welcomed more than 7 million international tourist arrivals in 2022 and is targeting 16.1 million international tourist arrivals with RM49.2 billion in tourism receipts for 2023.

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About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Muhammad Akmal Hafiz Abdul Aziz Senior
Assistant Director
Tourism Malaysia New Delhi
akmalhafiz@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +91-11-41506105 / 08

Muadz Samat
Assistant Director
Corporate Communications Division
muadz@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8755